Sendust, Permalloy and various other soft magnetic materials are known as materials for forming soft magnetic thin films for use in magnetic heads and thin film inductors.
In the magnetic recording field, for example, magnetic recording media having a higher coercive force Hc are desired in accordance with an increase in magnetic recording density. To achieve satisfactory recording in magnetic recording media having high coercive force, magnetic heads are required to generate high density magnetic flux. As a consequence, soft magnetic thin films for magnetic heads are required to have higher saturation magnetic flux density Bs.
In addition, for high recording/reproducing sensitivity, soft magnetic thin films are desired to have a high magnetic permeability .mu.. Moreover, for improved frequency response of magnetic permeability .mu., high electric resistivity .rho. is preferred.
However, Sendust and Permalloy have insufficient saturation magnetic flux density Bs to provide acceptable writing in high coercivity magnetic recording media having a coercive force as high as 1400 Oe or more.
Multi-layer films comprising alternately stacked soft magnetic thin layers of different types are known to have high saturation magnetic flux density and magnetic permeability, but they have not scored a commercial success because of an increased number of steps, complexity to manufacture, and low production yield.